The Sound of Two Hands Clapping

Last week, the lead headline of the Glen Rock Gazette, the weekly newspaper of our small New Jersey boro, blared out the news that the head chef for a local restaurant had decided to leave for another job. He had been working in our town for two years and had decided after the Pandemic had shut down the restaurant for several months to make a move. I don’t really think the chef’s leaving will have a major impact on Glen Rock, but the Gazette thought readers would be interested that he was going away. In Glen Rock, “big news” is tamer and more positive than in most other places. That’s good news too!

Most people who come to Glen Rock seem to stay—for a long time. Audrey and I have been here for more than 40 years, since 1979. It was the fourth move in our six-year marriage, and we figured we were home at last. We had done our research on Glen Rock and were pretty secure in our choice. A few years later, the town would hold a contest for a suitable motto, and the winning entry would be “Glen Rock: A Town to Come Home To.” So many other town residents obviously agreed with us.

Young and old town residents give a cheer

There are a lot of good things to say about Glen Rock—solid schools; a close knit religious community; two train stations and a bus station that provide a quick link to New York; a terrifically responsive public library; a two-block “main street” that features three pharmacies, at least six places to eat in or take out, at least four places to get your hair cut or nails done; and a small, but well-stocked grocery store that modestly calls itself Kilroy’s Wonder Market. I especially love the idea that, in the Town Hall, the tax collector’s office features a bowl of small candy bars and town employees who take your money with a smile.

Kilroy's is a wonder in the heart of downtown Glen Rock

These are all positives, as far as I’m concerned. So I was happy to join in last week when the town’s mayor, in her weekly call to residents to update us on the impact of the Pandemic on the town and the efforts to reopen, asked us to make a special effort to applaud the 2020 graduates of our high school, middle school, and elementary schools on the last official day of classes. She said the town would sound its siren used for school cancellations or delays at exactly 12:20, and encouraged residents to come out of their homes, in which many of us have been sheltering for weeks, to applaud our graduates. I made a mental note, and when the siren sounded, I threw open the front door and began applauding loudly. My wife and daughter came outside to see why I was acting so crazy, then they began smiling. In all honesty, mine were the only hands I heard clapping on my short block, but I am sure that others were joining in on other blocks all around town. 

Two hands clapping can make a sound that carries far. In my imagination, I think the graduates heard our cheers and that they will echo in their minds as they move on themselves in the fall. And I hope the chef hears my applause as a “bon voyage” wish for him. Though I think he’s a little crazy to leave “home.”